FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT LEATHER - PAGE 4

Are you sitting down? Better yet, is your tuchis settled into a plush, black leather, swivel-tilt conference chair with pneumatic adjustment that cost you $1,061.75, plus shipping? Chances are, it's not. But if you live in Hampton, your City Council members sit on these brand new black leather beauties whenever they meet in chambers to do the city's business. Last fall, the city bought 10 of these things. They cost you $10,617.75. Plus $350 in shipping. You may or may not think this expenditure is a sensible use of your tax dollars.

TOAST DAD Give a mug of blooms to tap into your favorite father's sense of style on Father's Day -- June 17. The Happy Hour Series is crafted from fresh white mini carnations in an acrylic beer mug, with special acrylic rocks to symbolize his favorite brew. Other floral arrangements geared for Dad include John Deere, All Stars and Hot Rod floral and snack themes. $30 and up. Visit www.1800flowers.com or call 800-356-9377. BANISH BLISTERS Your green -- or brown -- thumb avoids blisters when you wear the Pallina Vegan Glove that uses liquid-filled cells as barriers against rough yard work.

Lydia Rock of Hardyville has slowly moved away from the commercial world of arts and crafts to become an artist whose goal is expressing her own creative ideas. Rock, a Richmond native who moved to Middlesex in 1975, had a craft business from 1976 to 1986. She sold leather goods and leather designs. She also painted on leather, and began to paint more and more. But her store grew bigger too and managing it took time away from her creative activities. So she closed the business and began to paint at home.

The Langley airman was proud to receive his leather flight jacket as part of an Air Force-wide effort to raise the morale of flyers. It was a mark of distinction. Furthermore, he felt that the jacket, one of about 60,000 distributed throughout the Air Force, was more than a gift. If he left the service before he was eligible to retire, he would have to return it or pay for it. If he put in his 20 years, the $116 jacket was his as a token of appreciation for a lifetime of service.

The York County Sheriff's office needs help in solving the following crimes: On Nov. 3 someone stole $1,000 dollars worth of assorted drywall tools from the 100 block of Freedom Boulevard. On Nov. 27 someone stole a GO-PED personal motorized scooter valued at $800 from the 100 block of Ferguson Bend. On Nov 25 someone stole the rims and tires off of a 2003 Honda Civic parked in the 400 block of Belmont Circle. On Nov 20 someone stole a detachable faced Sony AM/FM CD player, 52 CDs, a black leather CD case with golf P.C.H.

STICK WITH HOCKEY The item pictured above is: A) a breakthrough in cricket mallet design; B) a walking aid; C) the latest in home defense; or D) a really nice field hockey stick. If you guessed D, you are correct. Grays Karach King stick is fiberglass reinforced wood and made in Pakistan. It sells for $44.99 at Herman's World of Sporting Goods in Coliseum Mall. CLASSIC SHOES Vans, the classic surfside shoe, are loved by surfers and beachcombers alike and rejuvenated by Sean Penn in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Two New York women and a sailor were charged with armed robbery Monday after a police officer spotted an apparent robbery in progress on a busy street at midday. Police Officer Clyde Fannin was on his way home about 1 p.m., after appearing in court on his off day, when he noticed a man rummaging through a suitcase and a woman standing over him near Jefferson Avenue and Brooke Street. When the man started waving frantically at him he pulled over and saw two woman running across the parking lot of the Holiday Inn. Advised by the man, Wendell Adam Waldron, 18, of Irvington, N.J., that the women had just robbed his 16-year-old traveling companion of her jewelry and full-length leather coat, Fannin gave chase, first in his squad car, then on foot, then in his car. One of the women was wearing the leather jacket, he said, which was "flapping behind her."

Jackets and vests are a woman's best friends this fall. Hems are a non-issue - wear them long or short, or try tailored trousers or split skirts for work or casual wear. It's what's above the waistband that's going to elevate you to new heights of fashion this season. Feminized versions of menswear get much of the credit for the refreshing interpretations of the classic vest or jacket. "Fashion just evolves. There's nothing new in fashion," says Carole Lawrence, fashion director and special events manager for the the Peninsula Leggett department stores.

Men can relax in a comfy and trendy pair of sandals, too It's like the boat shoe, the retro sneaker and the loafer, all strapped into one. And unless a guy is cursed with potatoey toes, he can open up and say "ahhh" to sandals, one of the most versatile and comfortable options for men these days. "They've really taken a big jump this season," said Jeff Espersen, a Nordstrom divisional merchandise manager for men's shoes. "Flip-flops are one of the single hottest trends."

Getting to know his roots has given Craig "Shenandoah" Oxendine a new way of life and a new career. Oxendine, 49 and a 12th-generation Virginian on his mother's side, traces his father's American Indian ancestry to the Lumbee Indians in Lumberton, N.C. He found it necessary to "prove his blood" so he could sell the leather goods he hand-makes at festival-like powwows that American Indians hold to celebrate their heritage. If Oxendine had to submit only a photo as proof of his heritage, he would be accepted without hesitation.